Thornton Willis, step over, under and through, 2016, oil on canvas, 70 x 61 inches
Thornton Willis is presenting a diverse and powerful group of recent paintings at Elizabeth Harris Gallery (through May 7, 2016). As with every new body of work, here Willis continues to push his paintings into new territory, constantly refining and expanding his vocabulary, while also releasing himself from his own rules and assumptions. The most distinctive new development is a sort of dissolution of the structures, so that rather than being contained or cropped by the edges of the rectangle, in the newest work, the shapes and configurations float in a continuous field of color. The effect is one of buoyancy, of hovering in a constantly shifting space. There is a translucence created by the intensity of the color field and the open placement of various sized rectangles within it, heightening the ambiguity and mystery of the configuration. The color ranges from high key, almost acidic, to soft pastels, and is utterly intuitive with no apparent system other than the internal poetry of the painting. As always the surfaces are juicy, with an offhanded and direct approach to the paint which belies the precision of the compositions. These are masterful works by an artist who has achieved a radical freedom.
Thornton Willis, step around, 2015, oil on canvas, 77 x 61 inches
Thornton Willis, spin step, 2016, acrylic on canvas, 77 x 61 inches
Thornton Willis, totem #1, 2014, oil on canvas, 77 x 61 inches
Thornton Willis, three painters, 2014, oil on canvas, 77 x 61 inches
Thornton Willis, impingement, 2015, oil on canvas, 77 x 61 inches
Thornton Willis, totem #2, 2014, oil on canvas, 86 x 70 inches
Thornton Willis, carousel, 2014, oil on canvas, 77 x 61 inches
Thornton Willis, three soldiers, 2015, oil on canvas, 70 x 61 inches
(Images from the gallery website)
